In the Family Way
by LaWeez5
Summary: Events take place after those of Season 7. Tig and Venus are now settled into the picture of domesticity, and suddenly seem to find themselves in the family way.
1. Chapter 1

In the Family Way

Venus Van Dam was ready to call it a day.

She stood up from the front desk at Diosa Norte, and made her way to the restroom.

Surveying herself in the mirror, she pulled out a cosmetic bag from her purse and set to work, quickly touching up the 5'o clock shadow starting to peek out with a few passes of a razor and a coating of foundation.

Next up, her lips. Rifling through her back of tricks, she selected the perfect shade of pink, and slicked it over her mouth, pulling her finger in and out to catch any strays that might have landed on her blindingly white teeth.

A few passes of the teasing comb and sprays of Ellnet resurrected the droopy curls that had wilted in the heat during the day.

Lastly, a few spritzes of her favorite scent. One last look, and she was ready to go.

She passed through the halls, saying good night to the girls waiting around for their next client and when she made it to the double doors to exit, one of Alvarez's men who was working the door that day, called out to her, "Looking good, Mami." She gave him a wink, and a flash of her brilliant smile, and said "Thanks, Sugar", and headed out into the early evening, and home.

She was grateful to be out of the game. She didn't miss it. She belonged to Tig now. He was her only "regular".

Her days were spent as a Consultant of sorts at Diosa. She helped the girls who hadn't quite refined their look, morph into viable money makers. She interviewed the prospective talent. She had the innate ability to see who could make it "in the life", having been close to, or part of it for most of hers.

The girls loved her, and saw her as a wiser older sister, one who had done and seen most everything.

They sought her out for advice on everything, from where to get their hair done to which Doctor in town was the best, Venus knew it all. She saw the work she did there as an aid to the bottom line of the business, and that translated to money in the club,'s and therefore, Tig's pocket.

Her kindness toward her these girls was due, in no small part to the time she spent under Nero's wing. He was there for her, always. Even though he was settled down in Norco with Wendy Case and Jax Teller's two little boys, she knew she could call him any time, and he'd be there for her as he had been ever since he took her in at age 15, an unsure, scared boy, who knew he was meant to be a woman.

Her nights were reserved for her and her Alexander. She looked forward to coming home to him. He made her feel safe, and she never felt more herself than she did when they were together.

As she pulled into the driveway, alongside Tig's bike, and turned off the ignition, she sat for a moment, looking at the tidy craftsman house the two of them shared, a purchase made after a particularly successful Red Woody title topped the adult film charts. There were rosebushes in the front bed, the lawn was neatly mown. It was the picture of domesticity.

The scene before her eyes reminded her of when she was little, and presented as male, secretly playing house and pretending to be a doting wife and mother rocking the pretend babies in her arm, making imaginary meals for a husband she never thought she'd have, quickly hiding her props when she'd hear her mother, Alice, come home with whatever john she'd picked up that day. For Venus, then known as Vincent, these little moments got her through the pain and horror that was her childhood.

Now, as a beautiful woman whose made up eyes stared back in the rearview, the picture in front of her was real. It was tangible. She had her man, her dream house. Her son, Joey, was safe in the care of her friends up in Seattle, so that part of the picture was missing, but she knew that he was well taken care of. She wiped a stray tear that had managed to fall from her eye, took a deep breath and walked toward the house, smiling, and feeling grateful for all of the good things that had finally started happening in her life.

As she opened the front door, she was greeted by Gertie, a black and white rather large and slobbery pit bull who shared the house with them.

Tig and Gertie were a package deal. He rescued the dog after she lost in a dog fight, and was set to be destroyed. Venus, fearful at first of the dog, quickly realized that she had nothing to fear, that the dog was as gentle on the inside, as she was tough looking on the outside. The same could be said for Tig. Underneath the piercing blue eyes and tough exterior, beat a heart of gold.

"Hey Gertie girl", she said to the dog whose tail wagged furiously, happy to see her. She gave the dog a couple of quick scratches behind the ears, took off her heels and padded down the hall.

"Alexander?" she called out. "You home, angel?"

" In here, beautiful", called Tig from the living room. She made her way into the immaculately decorated living room, not a piece of furniture or knick-knack out of place, where she found Tig sitting on the couch, watching television.

"How was your day, Baby?" he asked as he rose up from the couch to greet her and pulled her close to him.

" Busy, Baby. I'm so glad to be home now with you' ", she whispered, punctuating each word with a quick peck on his lips.

"What do you say we order in tonight, and make it movie night?" he said nuzzling up against her neck, breathing in her scent, a mix of gardenias, soap and sweat.

"Baby, if you behave, we could even make some movies of our own", she replied, nibbling on his ear and neck. "I'm going change into something a little more comfortable".

"Don't take too long, doll." I'll order us a pizza. 30 minutes or less, and then we can get down to business," he chuckled letting her go from his embrace.

"You know I'm worth the wait, Tiger", she teased as she lovingly poked a long, manicured finger to his chin, turned on her heel, and sauntered down the hallway, leaving him wanting more as always.

For Venus, "More Comfortable" was not to be confused with "Sloppy". She walked into the bedroom, and took off the emerald green wrap dress, and the large gold earrings she wore that day, slid off the stockings attached to their garters, and finally took off her bra, releasing her ample breasts, which Tig often joked, entered the room a full 10 seconds before she did.

She pulled on a pair of leopard print sweatpants, and a black v neck tunic, which, of course showed off her best assets, fluffed her hair and walked back into the living room where Tig was on the phone, ordering their dinner.

" Yeah, pepperoni and mushroom" "See you soon" "Thanks". He hung up the phone and turned his attentions toward his love.

"Damn, Baby, let me feast my eyes", he growled, drawing her in for a kiss.

"Oh, Alex- Alexander" she purred, looking forward to every single touch, every caress she knew would follow, and did.

Tig led her back to the couch. As they both sunk into the plush cushions, He held her face in his hands, and started in, kissing her, his tongue hitting all the sweet spots of her mouth, she readily accepting.

Their reverie was interrupted by the doorbell, and Gertie's loud barks.

"Damn, they weren't kidding with this 30 minutes or less crap. I feel like I just hung up the phone" Tig said, breathless.

He got up from the couch, where Venus remained, adjusting her top and hair, and walked to the front door. He took a quick peek out of the window and muttered, " Oh, Jesus Fucking Christ", and opened the door to find Sherriff Althea Jarry in all of her repressed glory standing before him.

"Sherrif."

"Mr . Trager."

"Let's cut the shit, Sherriff. What do you want?", he snarled.

" Oh, I'm not here for you or your club, this time. I'm here to see your girl friend , she sneered, drawing out the word 'girlfriend' like it was the worst insult someone could hurl.

"Let me go get her, doll" he said, not caring if he was disrespectful, and headed back into the living room.

"Venus, Baby, Sherriff's here to see you" he called into the room. "Any idea of what this about, honey?"

"No, Alexander, I don't." she said, shaking her head. A look of concern swept over her face. She always prided herself on not getting in trouble with the law. Nero taught her to be careful, on account of her complicated identity.

He always told Venus that if she were picked by the police it meant she'd end up in gen pop. Male gen pop.

They walked to the entry way where Jarry was waiting, all buttoned up and all business.

Venus, in an effort to calm herself, mentally made her over , " Take the hair out of that bun, in a more flattering outfit, she'd almost look human", she thought to herself.

" Good Evening Miss Van Dam"

"Sherriff Jarry",

" I'm here tonight to ask you a couple of questions about a former employee of Diosa, Candice Dahl? I believe she went by Candy?"

Venus took a deep breath in. Sure, she remembered Candy Dahl. She was a pretty girl, very All-American. Guileless. She didn't last very long at Diosa, she up and left one day without a word, left no forwarding information. Venus figured she was moving on to try and get her shit together. It wouldn't be the first time. That was well over a year ago. She could confirm it by looking at the books kept at Diosa to be sure.

After telling all of this to Sherriff Jarry, she finally asked, "Why?" " Is she in some sort of trouble?"

" I think we all better sit down", Jarry replied

Tig, Venus and Jarry all moved back into the living room, and the doorbell rang again, this time with the Pizza delivery. Tig quickly paid the delivery guy, dropped the pizzas off in the kitchen and returned to the two women. Jarry spoke first,

"Earlier today, Candice Dahl showed up at the Charming Police Station, with two small children in tow, a little girl, 2 or 3 years old, and a newborn, also a girl, and never returned. We found two notes in the infant's baby carrier, one addressed to you, Ms. Van Dam, the other a suicide note" Jarry handed the envelope to Venus, who reached out for it with shaky hands.

"About an hour ago," Jarry continued, "a call came in from one of the hot sheet joints on the highway, where her body was found. Looks like an overdose"

After a minute or so of stunned silence, Tig finally spoke up, " And the kids, where are they?"

"At St. Thomas, getting checked out. Child Services was called, apparently she had no family, and it's likely these kids are the result of a professional rather than personal relationship"

" Miss Van Dam, I think you need to read this letter, and then make your way to St. Thomas. Mr. Verde from CPS is expecting you. Please call the station if you need anything. I'll see myself

out, and give you your privacy. Good night."

"Good Night, Sherriff"

The door slammed and Venus looked down at the letter in her hands, and then at Tig, tears welling in her eyes.

" Ohhh Baby, I'm afraid to read this", she whimpered. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze.

"Doll, whatever this is, we'll figure it out. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere"

"O-Ok. Let's see what this says, then." She took a deep breath, opened the envelope, and started to read.


	2. Chapter 2: The Letter

In the Family Way

Chapter 2 The Letter

Venus slid her nail under the flap of the envelope, and pulled out the letter.

Opening it up, she noticed the bubbly looking handwriting, the type a 14 year old girl might use to write a note to her middle school crush.

"Well, what does it say?" Tig asked.

Venus began to read aloud.

_Dear Miss Venus,_

_I guess you never expected to hear from me again, or if you even remember me. I wanted to let you know that I never forgot you, and how kind you were to me._

_You always treated me and the other girls with respect, even though I never believed I deserved it._

_I remember one day, when a client of mine was giving me a hard time, and wouldn't pay me. You caught wind of it, and demanded he cough up what he owed me. I never saw a grown man cower the way he did when you gave him a piece of your mind, and told him to never come back. _

_Afterwards, you sat me down, and talked with me, making sure I was alright. I can't begin to tell you how that made me feel. _

_You have a caring nature and a kind heart. You are beautiful inside and out, and I think you are the classiest lady I have ever met. _

Venus paused to reflect on what she just read. She remembered that day. Of course the girl deserved to get paid, but surely Candy was placing more importance on this event than what Venus remembered? Shaking her head, she continued reading.

_A lot has changed since I was working at Diosa. I know you always told us to take care and be safe when we met with our dates. I wish I had listened. If you're reading this letter, you either have or are about to meet my babies. Amelia is two. The little one doesn't have a name yet. I'm hoping you can pick a nice one out for her, because I'm asking you to take them and raise them as your own._

There wasn't much more to the letter. Venus stopped reading, confused and scared by what she had read.

" Alexander, what on earth was Candy thinking? Why me, of all people? My own son Joey doesn't even know I'm his parent, I didn't even raise him! Why did this girl think I could be a mama to not one, but two little children? And, and, what about you? You didn't sign up for this? Did she really think that CPS will hand over these children to an outlaw and his Old Lady?!"

Tig turned to face Venus, took her hands in his. By this time, the single, bubble tear in her eye had turned into a full on deluge that managed to smudge her carefully applied mascara, and cut a black, runny path down the side of her face. Gertie, sensing something was amiss, put her head on Venus' knee, and looked up at her.

"Venus. Baby. Listen to me." Tig said, his bright blue eyes softening his gaze as he spoke.

"It's easy to see why, baby. It's the same things I see in you. What everyone sees in you. You are possibly the sweetest person I know. And I ain't just saying it because you're my old lady. It's the truth. I am so thankful I have you in my life. When I met you , I was in a bad way, baby. I lost my Dawn, then the club lost Opie. The day I saw you strut into that insurance agency, sassing Jax, and acting like you owned the joint, I thought that there was something special about you. As we grew closer, I knew it was true. Every day I get to spend with you, is a good day. Those kids would be lucky to have you as their mama. I know you'd take care of them the way you take care of everyone else, me included. Like I said, baby. We're in this together. Every step of the way. We'll figure this out. "

"My darling Alexander, " Venus sobbed, her head now nestled in the crook of his neck. "You are so good to me."

They sat like that for a few minutes, Tig gently rocking Venus, and stroking her hair, pushing back a stray lock that had fallen in her face.

"So, what do you say, baby?" Tig said to break the silence. "It seems we're expected at St. Thomas." "Go ahead and get cleaned up, and we'll see what this is all about."

"Ok, baby." Venus said, managing a small smile. " I won't be more than a minute." She rose from the couch, Gertie trotting behind her, following her down the hall.

When he heard the bathroom door close and the water start to run, Tig quickly made two phone calls. The first, to Chibs, to tell him what was going on and to mention he'd likely be late to church at the newly renovated Scoops tomorrow.

The second call he placed to a number starting with a 951, the area code for Norco, California.

When the call went straight to voicemail, he hurriedly left a message, his voice low, so Venus couldn't hear.

"Uhh, hi Nero, it's Trager. Can you, umm give me a call, I needed to talk to you about something. It's uhh—umm about Venus, everything's fine, for the most part, but I uhh had a question for you. Thanks, brother."

Tig hung up the phone in time to see Venus emerge from the bathroom, make up freshly re-applied, looking gorgeous, as if she'd look anything less than.

"Ready, baby?" she said.

"Ready." Tig replied. "I'll drive" he said, linking his arm in hers.

"Hold down the fort, Gertie, he called to the dog after shutting and locking the front door, heading to the car, and on to the hospital and whatever else would be in store for them.


	3. Chapter 3

St. Thomas Hospital was a 10 minute drive from Tig and Venus' place.

The two of them , usually so chatty, were mostly silent the whole ride there, Tig's arm wrapped around Venus' shoulder as they drove.

As they pulled into the lot and exited the car, Tig removed his kutte. He knew that the club colors likely would not be a welcome sight there. In his black button down shirt, blue jeans and boots, he looked like any other visitor. Tig was no stranger to this place. He was a regular here, having been a frequent patient and visitor, he knew the halls like the back of his hand. He paused as they approached the entrance.

"You ok, darlin'?" Venus asked.

"Yeah. This place always reminds me of Tara. I wish you had the chance to meet her,baby. Kinda wish she was here right 'd be a big help" Tig smiled, remembering the good "doc" who had stitched him up more times than he cared to remember, and whose skills as a pediatric surgeon saved Abel Teller's life.

"Well, if that sweet baby Thomas takes after his mama, I can see why she was so special to you all." Venus smiled, thinking back on their last trip to Norco.

Tig and Venus tried to make it down there as often as they could, so Tig could see Abel and Thomas, and Venus, Nero. The boys loved their Uncle Tig, who would roughhouse with them and have them running around the farm for hours. One afternoon, Venus and Wendy were sitting on the porch catching up, Thomas squirming in Wendy's arms, unsettled.

"Would you mind taking him for a minute, Venus? Nature calls."

"Of course, honey. Hand him over"

Wendy dropped the little boy in Venus' arms and went inside. Almost instinctively, Thomas laid his fuzzy head against Venus' chest and snuggled in.

Venus felt a sense of calm wash over her in that moment. For the rest of the weekend, Thomas only wanted her, crying when they left to head back north.

"Bye-bye, my fuzzy duck" Venus called out from the car.

"Auntie Venus will see you soon, I promise."

Focusing on the entrance to the hospital, Venus took a deep breath, steadying herself for the uncertainty that laid on the other side.

Walking through the automatic doors, they made their way to the front desk.

Margaret Murphy, the hospital administrator, happened to be relieving the receptionist while she was on break, looked down over her glasses, at the couple , in front of her, sighed, and said rather unconvincingly, " May I help you?"

Tig gave her a wink, and said " Hi, Red, Yeah we're looking for Mr. Verde from CPS"

Venus stared at Tig and shook her head. " Yes, Ma'am, we were told we'd find him here?"

Margaret replied, "I'll take you to him. He's in one of the conference rooms down the hall, and he's expecting you. Shame about those poor children, he'll be able to explain more."

Tig and Venus exchanged worried looks, and hurried down the hospital hallway, following Margaret's quick steps.

She led them to a conference room, knocked twice, and called into the open door,

"They're here".

They entered the room, and a stocky, sweaty middle aged man with an ill fitting suit stood up to greet them. As was usually the case, his eyes made a beeline to Venus' chest, then catching himself, quickly changed his gaze to look her in the eye.

"Hi. Chuck Verde, CPS. Miss Van Dam? Mr. Trager?, I presume? It's nice to meet you."

He extended his hand, and Tig shook it, a little stronger than Mr. Verde's, as if to assert himself as the alpha in the room.

"Hello." Tig said, nodding his head, and taking a seat. He knew this was not the time or place for his usual wisecracks or jokes.

"Hi." said Venus, fixing her top and sitting down beside Tig.

"I suspect Sheriff Jarry explained to you what's going on?"

"Yes, we have an idea." Venus replied, "But we were told to come to the hospital to speak to you."

" I apologize for not accompanying Sherriff Jarry to your home, I still had some paperwork to attend to here. Thank you for getting here so quickly.

As Sherriff Jarry explained, the biological mother of the two minors, Candice Dahl, dropped them at the Charming police station. Under the state's safe haven law, she was able to do so, without facing criminal charges. We consider this to be her termination of her parental rights. We ran Miss Dahl's name through our records, and were also able to determine that she and her children were never in our system. After reading the note she left, and I understand that you are in receipt of a note as well, we can also determine it was her intent that you, Miss Van Dam, take care of, and raise these children."

"Yes, that's right." Venus replied, her hand nervously fiddling with her shirt.

"I'll allow as how her request took me completely by surprise. "

"Well, it is a very big responsibility, Miss Van Dam. Clearly, Miss Dahl felt you were up to the task. What, may I ask was your relationship to the deceased?"

" I was, um her mentor at work." Venus' voice cracking, and making the statement sound like a question.

"I see. We're waiting on the hospital social worker and Dr. Haskins, the pediatrician who examined the children and admitted them to the hospital, to join us. They're going to speak to you regarding their condition. While we're waiting, I'd like to set up some time tomorrow to visit you at home. We typically check out the home placement to make sure the children will be in a safe environment. "

"Yeah, that's not a problem." Tig replied.

" I can tell you that I do have firearms at home, but they're locked up. We also have a pit bull, but she's no trouble."

Venus looked at Tig, surprised that he was so forthright.

"And, as for space, can you tell me how many bedrooms are in your house?" Verde continued, jotting notes in his file.

"Three."

"Ok. So, plenty of space. Miss Van Dam, do you work?" he continued.

"Yes, I do. I'm umm a stylist."

"What about you, Mr. Trager?"

"Uh by training, I'm a mechanic. I'm also part owner of an entertainment company."

"Alrighty"

Before he could start asking another question, there was a knock and then the door slightly opened.

"Come in, Come in." Mr. Verde exclaimed to the two women in the doorway, one in scrubs, the other looked like she was still in high school.

They introduced themselves as Dr. Haskins, and Ms. Thompson, respectively.

" Thank you both for coming in." Dr. Haskins said.

"I'm the lead pediatrician in charge of this case. We're currently monitoring both the newborn and the toddler, and providing them with IV fluids, as they presented as dehydrated upon arrival. The newborn is also jaundiced, so we now have her under the lights in the NICU, to help clear that up. From what we can gather, she was born within the past week, as evidenced by her umbilical stump still being in place. We're not sure where she was born, as we have no record of the bio mom ever being here."

"Oh, the poor baby!" Venus exclaimed. "But she's physically fine, otherwise?"

" Yes, she is." Dr. Haskins continued.

"Now, Amelia, the older of the two girls, also checks out, physically. She was brought in with a low grade fever, and an ear infection, but other than that, she's ok. We did, however, have to give her a mild sedative so we could check her out, as she was inconsolable when she was brought in. She's resting now.

Ms. Thompson took over.

" As part of the hospital social work team, it's my job to help you as you navigate through what must seem like uncharted waters." She said, kindly. Her delivery was like a warm hug after Dr. Haskins' brisk, clinical demeanor.

"These little girls have been through a lot, and we want to make their transition from here to their forever home as smooth as possible. After speaking with Dr. Haskins, we think it would be best for the girls to get acclimated to you. So, tomorrow, we'll start by introducing you to the baby. We realize she doesn't have a name as yet. Did you happen to have one in mind? I know this is all happening so quickly, but it's been proven as a first step on the road to creating a bond between caregivers and children."

"Violet." Venus blurted out.

"My Memaw's name was Violet." Venus said softly, to no one in particular. Tig looked at her, making a mental bookmark to ask her about this woman who was apparently so important to his woman.

"Well, then that's settled. Violet it is. I'll go ahead and tell the nurses on duty that our newest resident has a name. Let's all plan on reconvening tomorrow, and we'll start right in. I'm sure this a lot for you to take in, and it's my experience that a good night's sleep helps. Here's my card. Just ask for me at the front desk, and they'll page me. I look forward to working with you."

" Until tomorrow." Venus smiled, and said as she got up to leave.

"Yeah, thanks a lot." Tig said. " We'll see you then." He grabbed Venus' hand and gave it a squeeze. They walked back to their car and headed home.

"I don't know about you, baby, but I sure could use a drink" Tig sighed as they walked through the front door.

" Sugar, if you're pouring, make mine a double" Venus replied.

They headed into the kitchen, where Tig poured out a couple of fingers of bourbon each, and they dug into their now cold pizza .

Sitting across from each other, Tig raised his glass.

"To new adventures, Mama."

"To new adventures, Daddy." Venus replied, clinking her glass to his, and downing her drink in one gulp.

"Let's do that again." she said.

" I think we should.", Tig laughed and poured another round, which they quickly dispatched.

"I love you, Tiger"

" I love you, too baby."

Tig got up from his seat, and walked over to his love. Extending his hand, he motioned for her to get up

"Come on. We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's go unwind."

"Right behind you, baby. It'll be the perfect nightcap to our nightcap. " She smiled, and swatted his ass, as they made their way to the bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Tig awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee and an empty space beside him in bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and rolled out of the California King he and Venus shared, smiling, and thinking about the night before.

While not one of their wilder sessions, the tender, almost chaste love they made was no less satisfying.

When they finished, they lay facing each other, Venus' head nestled in the crook of Tig's arm, he lightly tracing patterns on hers with his free hand.

"Mmmmm, Alex, that feels so nice." Venus murmured sleepily.

Tig leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"I am happy to oblige."

"You know what, baby?"

"What's that?"

" When I was little, my Memaw would tell me, ' baby, everything is going to turn out all right for you in the end. I promise you that.' I never really believed it, but I'm starting to think she was right" Venus said, wistfully.

"She must've been pretty important to you if you wanted to name this baby after her, huh?"

Venus propped her head in her hand, and smiled.

"Oh, Alex, I loved her so much. She was something else. Memaw knew her way around the kitchen, and a shotgun. She loved whiskey and country music. Most of all, she loved me."

"She sounds like my kind of woman." Tig chuckled.

"Before Alice and I moved out to California, she'd just up and leave me with Memaw Violet for weeks at a time. She was more of a mother to me than Alice ever was.

I always felt like she knew what was going on inside me. "

"I remember the last time I ever stayed with Memaw. It was summer time. The day before Miss Alice dropped me off, she marched me to the Barber Shop, and told them, ' Give him a summer haircut. No son of mine is going to be walking around looking like a little girl' ." Venus said, absent mindedly playing with a lock of her curled hair.

"I cried and I cried all the way to Memaw's house.

I hated it. Memaw knew it.

She told me, " Honey, don't worry, it'll grow back. All those pretty curls, they'll grow back"

"I spent the next few months with her, and was just so happy. "

One night, we sat down to eat dinner and who should pull up after 2 months of being out of sight, but my mama.

Miss Alice told me to get my things, and that we were leaving. That she had a husband who'd be a new daddy for me. Memaw begged her not to take me, but Alice wouldn't hear any of it. We left Memaw's house and just kept driving. We drove all the way from Georgia out here. I never saw her again." Venus swallowed hard, stifling a sob.

"Oh, my baby." Tig sighed, reaching around to pull her close to him. They remained like that until the morning.

After throwing on a T-shirt over his boxers, and making a pit stop to the bathroom, he walked into the kitchen where he found Venus, standing over the stove, her hair in hot rollers, in her satin robe, Gertie was eagerly waiting to catch any stray bits from what she was cooking.

"Whatcha making, beautiful?" Tig said, grabbing her from behind and greeting her with a kiss.

"Eggs, bacon and lists" she replied, kissing him, and motioning to the table.

"Can I fix you a plate, sugar?"

"That'd be great, baby. What kind of lists?"

"Well, I figured we've got a lot of things we need to do in anticipation of our new arrivals, and I couldn't sleep, so I just started writing."

Tig took a look at the pages filled with Venus' flowery script. She hadn't left off a thing, from beds to clothes, diapers to toys.

"Well, looks like you've got your bases covered. If you like, I can get Chucky to help you order some of the stuff. Two fingers, and he still types faster than I do."

" I think that would be a big help." Venus brought a plate laden with food, over to Tig, and sat down at the table.

"Aren't you going to eat anything. Baby?"

Venus shook her head, " Not now. We've got a lot to do today, and you know me, I can't leave the house without putting on my face. I'll grab something later."

"More for me, then" Tig said, digging in.

"We have to be at the hospital at 10, and then CPS is coming here this afternoon. Did you let Filip know you'd be indisposed today?"

"Yeah, baby, I told Chibby today was going to be kind of crazy"

"Darlin, this is tame compared to half the shit you and Filip do" Venus laughed, and headed off to get ready.

A few minutes before 10, they strode once again through the hospital doors, Tig in his usual work shirt, jeans and boots, Venus in a skirt and purple blouse. Ms. Thompson greeted them at the front desk.

"Good Morning Miss Van Dam! ! Hope you slept well. Are we ready to head to the nursery?"

"Yes, we sure are." Tig said, his hand on the small of Venus' back.

"Sugar, lead the way" Venus said, smiling.

As they walked down the winding corridors of the hospital, Ms. Thompson started to give them the run down of what they'd find in the NICU.

" When we get there, you'll have to wash, and likely gown up.

"You're going to see a lot of wires, tubes and leads on the baby. Don't freak out, she's doing really well. This is all just precautionary treatment for her."

Tig's blue eyes widened.

"So, I'm guessing we'll only be looking in on her?" Venus inquired.

"Oh no! Nothing of the sort. Babies need to be held. It's what helps them bond to you, and grow. You'll be able to hold her. Another thing you should be aware of, is that talking to her will also aid in bonding. We've also been talking to Amelia, explaining to her that you and Mr. Trager will be coming to see her when she's up to it. I think you'll be able to visit with her tomorrow. I think she'll be really excited to meet the two of you."

They turned a corner, and found themselves in front of the NICU.

Their first stop was the nurses station.

"Mr. Trager, Ms. Van Dam.." Ms. Thompson started her introductions to the charge nurse.

"Honey, please, call me Venus"

" Venus and.."

"Alex", Tig said, sheepishly.

"Venus and Alex, I'd like you to meet Helen. She's been taking care of Violet"

Venus' eyes met those of the jolly looking nurse on the other side of the desk.

"Well, Hello! We're excited for you to be here. Before we head to the nursery, I need you to put on these ID bracelets. This way, when you come back we'll know who belongs to you" she said .

They did as she asked. Tig struggled with the bracelet and his leather wrist cuff, but managed to make it fit.

After washing their hands, Helen took them to an isolette, whose resident, had a hat fitted snugly on her head with a big bow in front.

She motioned to what looked like two reclining chairs, and had them sit down.

"Who would like to go first?" she asked

"Baby, why don't you?" Tig said.

Venus nodded her head and took a deep breath.

Helen lifted the baby out of the isolette, and arranged her in Venus' arms.

Venus looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, all pink and sleepy.

"Well hello, Miss Violet, it's nice to meet you." She cooed.

At that moment, the baby yawned, scrunching up her face.

"My goodness, what a big yawn for such a little girl!" Venus giggled.

" You are so pretty. Isn't she just gorgeous, Alexander?" she said, stroking the baby's cheek.

"She is, baby, she is" Tig said, struck by how serene and beautiful Venus looked holding the baby.

"I know I'm new at this, but I promise, we will take good care of you. "

Venus felt the tears coming to her eyes, and called out to the Nurse, who was busily writing in a chart.

"Excuse me, would you happen to have a tissue?"

"Everything ok?" Helen asked, walking over and dabbing Venus' eyes so as not to disturb the sleeping baby.

"Yes darlin', these are happy tears."

" You look like a pro, holding her. She's a very lucky little girl. Can I get you anything else?"

"Not right now." Venus smiled at the nurse, and thanked her.

"Well then, let me give you some time to yourselves. Use the call button if you need anything."

"Thank you.", Tig and Venus said at the same time.

"You ok, Baby?" Tig asked, after the nurse left their area.

"Just fine. " Venus sighed. "We've just met" she said, looking down , "and I think I'm in love already."

Tig smiled. " Kinda like when I first met you."

The rest of the day was spent back at their house, touring Mr. Verde around the place, showing him that they had enough space, and that it was safe.

He commented that he was impressed with their home, and that it was just that, a home.

Venus beamed when she heard that. Even before this unexpected turn in the road, she worked hard to make the space she shared with Tig more than just some furniture and four walls. She took pride in the job she did fixing up the place. She looked forward to decorating the rooms for the girls. " A little pink would do this place good, "she thought to herself

Chucky showed up to take notes, and help get things organized . He and Venus were deep in conversation about the perfect crib and car seat. Tig just shook his head and laughed.

He went outside to smoke a cigarette, Venus didn't allow it in the house, and just as he took his first drag, he felt his phone start to buzz in his pocket.

He looked quickly at the number, and saw that Nero was calling him back.

"Hey Brother"

" What can I do for you, Mano? I got your message. Everything ok?" Nero answered.

"Yeah, just fine. Don't know if you heard, but Venus and I now seem to find ourselves in the family way"

He heard Nero laughing on the other end of the line.

"What the hell, man? Is this the Immaculate Conception?"

"Nah, bro. A girl from Diosa, after your time there, offed herself, and made it clear she wanted Venus to take care of her kids. We met the baby today. Looks like we'll be seeing the older one tomorrow or the next day."

"Whoah. That's some heavy shit. How's my girl doing with all this?"

"You know her, she's strong. Smiling through it all."

"Well, I can come up there if you need me,"

"I think we're going to be ok, but I did want to ask you something. Once the dust settles, and we get into some sort of routine, I wanna do something I've been putting off for a while, and I wanted to ask your permission. You're the closest thing to family Venus has, and I only thought it right… "

" Uhh yeah, bro. Of course. You know, when shit first started popping off between the two of you, I worried. She's been through a lot of shit in her life, and I thought if you ever hurt her, I'd have to hurt you. She loves you, man. I'm glad that you feel the same way. I've gotta go, bro, but I'll check in soon. See how everything's going. Bring the family down to Norco when everything calms down, ok?"

"Ok, great. I've gotta go. Say hey to Wendy and the kids for me. Talk to you later, _Abuelo_" Tig laughed as he hung up the phone. He finished his cigarette and headed back inside.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next few days proved to be a crash course for Tig and Venus. They spent time shuttling back between home and the hospital to see the girls, and simultaneously prepare for their arrival at home.

Ms. Thompson and Helen proved to be great resources with what to expect when Amelia and Violet left the hospital, from preparing Gertie by bringing home something belonging to the girls so she could recognize their scent, to not having a crazy stream of visitors the first couple of weeks, so they understood that Tig and Venus would be their protectors and care givers. Ms. Thompson also suggested that at some point they take a family portrait.

"This way, " she said, " They'll know that they belong, and that you're a family."

The first visit with Amelia proved challenging. Tig and Venus, per Ms. Thompson's instructions, walked into a playroom in the pediatric wing where Ms. Thompson was waiting with Amelia. The little girl stood still in the center of the room for a good 15 minutes, her large brown eyes staring at Venus.

Ms. Thompson warned them that it would take some time for the child to warm up, and to not push it.

"Always let them come to you."

After what seemed like forever, Amelia walked over and sat in front of Venus. She continued staring, and then finally piped up.

"Are you a princess?" she asked.

Venus, who was dressed immaculately as usual, laughed, and told the little girl,

"No, Baby girl, I'm not a princess."

Amelia proceeded to crawl into Venus' lap. Pointing a chubby finger at Venus, she said, "You are pretty like a princess"

"Oh, thank you so much, baby." She said , placing her hand on the child's cheek.

" I think you are pretty like a princess, too. You have such pretty hair!" she said, smiling, wrapping a finger around one of Amelia's curls, watching it spring into place.

" We brought you a present. Baby, why don't you show her what we brought" Tig said.

Venus reached into her bag and pulled out a stuffed animal, shaped like a lamb.

Amelia took the lamb in her arms and hugged it. "Thank you." She said.

"Amelia, remember what we talked about?" Ms. Thompson asked.

"These nice people want to be your Mama and Daddy, and when you and your baby sister are all better, they would love for you to come and live with them."

"Why don't you tell Amelia what your house is like?"

"Well…" Venus started, " You'll have your own room."

"Pink?" Amelia asked

"Yes, baby. Pink."

"We have a puppy dog, too. Her name is Gertie. She can't wait to meet you." Tig said, smiling.

They then pulled out the pictures Ms. Thompson asked them to bring to their meeting.

There was one of Venus, standing in front of the "sold" sign when they bought their house.

Another of Tig, asleep on the couch with Gertie lying beside him.

Amelia smiled.

Pointing at the pictures, and then at the couple in front of her, she said,

"My Mama. My Daddy. My House. My puppy"

"That's right!" Ms Thompson exclaimed enthusiastically.

They spent the next few hours talking, reading books and coloring. When it was time to go, Amelia gave them hugs and said, " Bye bye my mama and daddy."

"Bye, angel." said Venus., blowing a kiss as she walked out of the room. "We'll be back tomorrow."

Venus turned to Tig as they were leaving, " I am so glad I remembered to wear water proof mascara today, baby."

"Happy tears, again?" Tig asked

"Yes, darlin. Happy tears." she sighed as he rubbed her back.

As they walked through the halls to head home, Ms. Thompson ran after them. "Venus! Alex! Do you have a minute?"

"Sure thing."said Tig. "What's up?"

"Wow. I just wanted to tell the two of you, I am really, really impressed. You are taking to this like ducks to water. "

Tig grinned.

"Any idea of when they'll be released?"

"We are thinking Friday. How are your preparations at home, going?"

"Pretty good There's a lot to do, but My girl here has everything pretty well organized. That's where we're headed now."

"Well, I look forward to taking them to your house to stay."

"We are as well, Ms. Thompson. Thank you so much for everything, really." Venus said grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"You are more than welcome. It's been such a pleasure working with you. Have a good night!"

Tig was right. The flurry of activity at the Trager/ Van Dam household was non-stop.

Chibs came over to help paint the two spare bedrooms a beautiful shade of pink.

"So this is really happening, Tiggy?" Chibs asked as they rolled the walls.

"Yeah. It is. And?"

"And nothing, brother. I'm just really happy to see you so happy."

"You gonna make an honest woman of her?"

"Yeah, I am. That gonna be a problem?"

"No, my brother. In times past it might have done, but I think we're ready for some change. Besides, Venus is the best thing that's happened to you. Your crazy's been dialed back to a solid 8 since you two hooked up." He said, laughing and slapping Tig on the back.

"So, when does Uncle Chibby get to meet the wee ones?"

"Hospital says they're coming home to us in a few days."

"You nervous?"

"Kinda. I don't want to fuck things up, you know?"

"I know, my brother. I know all too well."

"One more question, my brother. Is this gonna be a doll-free house?

Tig started laughing, and when he finally caught his breath, exclaimed, "Jesus Christ, I wish!"

Brooke, Rat's girl came over that day to sort through all of the different packages that kept arriving at the house, helping Venus unpack them.

Venus was overcome at how generous everyone was after hearing the news. Along with all of the gear she and Chucky had ordered, The girls at Diosa chipped in and bought them a baby stroller. When she went to pick up her paycheck, Alvarez pulled her aside.

"Mami, here's a little something extra for you." Take all the time you need . He said, handing over an envelope thick with bills.

"Why Marcus, thank you so much!" Venus said, struck, once again by this hard man's thoughtfulness.

"Thank you so much for all of your help, sugar. We really appreciate it." Venus said as they cut tags off of the beautiful baby and toddler clothes she purchased earlier that day.

" I have to say, buying clothes for little girls is much more fun than buying boys clothes." She continued as she neatly folded them into piles.

"It's no problem. I miss helping out now that the boys are with Nero and Wendy" Brooke said, smiling.

"Well, Darlin, If you're willing, I know we'll be needing your services, here. You know for date nights, and I am sure there will be days when I need to go to Diosa, and Alex will be doing whatever it is he does, and I do not want these babies to be anywhere near there. I know we're not the Cleavers, but between you and I, sweetheart, I don't want us to be the Tellers, either, you know?"

"No, I get it. Little kids shouldn't have to be exposed to that kind of stuff. I saw how it messed up Abel. How it could mess up Tommy."

Venus kept folding the clothes. " I really feel like Alexander and I have been given a second chance with these girls. I know how important the club is to him, and that for years, it was his family, to the detriment of his own family. His one living daughter wants nothing to do with him. Now we have these little ones, it's like a fresh start for us. I can't believe that we're a family now.

"Can I ask you something, Venus?" Brooke said, looking concerned.

"Anything, sugar."

"Well, are you worried?"

"Well, Miss Brooke, I worry about a lot of things. Could you elaborate?"

"Umm are you worried about what people will say?"

"Honey, I'm going to tell you something that I learned a long time ago, and that's that the people that mind don't matter, and the people who matter don't mind."

" I'll tell you what I do worry about, darlin, and that's being the best Mama to these girls that I can be. I worry that I won't be able to protect them from all of the evil shit that's out there in the world. But, am I worried that people are gonna stare at me as I walk down the street with my man and my babies, and say hateful things? I am not. I know who I am. "

Venus walked over to Brooke, and gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry if I was short with you, there's just a lot going on."

"No, no. It's cool. It's funny, if Gemma had said something like that to me, I'd probably be in tears. You, you're so different. It's refreshing."

"Well, darlin, I have been told before that I am an acquired taste." Venus laughed.

"Now what say we take a break and see what those boys are up to."

Venus and Brooke walked down the hall. "Boys! How are y'all doing in here?" Venus called into the room.

"Come on in and see." Tig called out.

Stepping into the room, Venus let out an excited squeal.

"Ooh Baby! This looks great" Venus clapped her hands "I'm so happy with how it turned out.!"

"Thanks, Doll. Chibby and I are just finishing up. We should be ready to move in the furniture tomorrow."

"Everything is falling into place so nicely. I can't wait to get these babies home."

" I know baby." Tig put his arm around his love and gave her a squeeze.

Later that night, after Chibs had taken Brooke home, Tig and Venus settled in for some quiet time on the couch.

"Here you go, Alex." Venus said sitting down next to Tig and handing him a drink.

"Thanks, baby. Oh, be careful where you sit." He said, pointing down.

"Why, what's this?" Venus said, picking up an elegantly wrapped box from the cushion.

"Take a seat, open it and find out."

Venus carefully undid the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a pendant with three small discs, with a diamond outlined letter, A, V and J on each.

"Alexander Trager, what did you do? " Venus shook her head as she looked down at the beautiful necklace. " This is so lovely. You even remembered my Joey."

"Aw, it's just a little something to celebrate" he said. "Can I put it on you?"

"Of course you can."

Tig reached around and closed the clasp. Venus walked over to the mirror, admiring the necklace which hung perfectly at the point where here ample bosom began. She walked back to the couch where Tig was waiting, and planted a kiss on him.

"Baby, I don't know what to say. This is so, so nice."

Tig turned to Venus, and presented her with another box.

"Well, doll, I'm hoping you'll say 'yes'."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Venus quickly opened the second box, which contained a beautiful ring with a cushion cut diamond.

"Baby now I really don't know what to say, except yes." Venus exclaimed, and leaned in for a kiss.

"Well, let's see how it looks on you"

Tig slid the ring onto Venus' finger. She held out her hand to admire it .

"Do you like it?"

"Oh, I do! You did good, Tiger."

" Of course I did, I picked you."

"Please don't tell me there's a minivan parked in the driveway, though. I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Venus said.

" I can promise you that there's not." Tig said, laughing.

"Alex, seriously, though, you know with what all we've got going on, planning a wedding is a little too much right now."

"I know baby. Whenever you're ready. "

" Alexander, I would be proud to be your Mrs." Venus said, snuggling close to Tig, still looking at the ring.

The girls were released from the hospital, as promised by Ms. Thompson , that Friday.

The day before their homecoming, they made one last hospital visit to drop off clothes for the girls to wear the next day, and to finish up the last of the paperwork.

Ms. Thompson asked whose last name they should use for the girls.

"Trager." Tig said proudly.

By this time, Violet was out of the NICU, and in the regular nursery. Helen, the nurse ,whose information was so helpful, suggested they try using Kangaroo Care, or skin to skin contact when visiting with the baby, to assist with the bonding process, and to use a baby carrier when they got her home. They alternated with each visit, this time was Tig's turn.

Tig took off his shirt, as per Helen's instructions and let the baby lay on his chest for an hour.

"Nap time" he said, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Sleep well, my big baby." Venus said, chuckling.

It melted Venus' heart to see him with the baby. True to his word, he fell asleep and she walked back to the nurse's station to visit with Helen.

"How are you today, Miss Helen? Holding down the fort, as usual?"

"That I am. I know I sound like a broken record, but I have got to tell you, through the years I've seen a lot of members of the MC come through these doors, but I have never had the pleasure of seeing one of them willingly do what your boyfriend is doing now."

" He's now my fiancé." Venus showed Helen the ring.

"Wow, that's quite the rock!"

"Quite the rock, from my rock, my Alexander" Venus beamed. " Miss Helen, I was going to visit with Amelia, and get her a little ice cream from the cafeteria and some coffee for me. If he wakes up, would you mind telling him where I am? Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you. But, thanks for asking." Helen said. "Before you go, I had a question for you. Have you thought at all about giving the baby a middle name?"

" Well, no.I hadn't thought of it, but now that you mention it, I think that would be a good idea.

"Did you want to discuss it with your boyfr-, uhh your fiancé?"

"I think Alex would be fine with my choice. I'd like her middle name to be Lula."

"Violet Lula. That has a nice ring to it. I know you said Violet was your Grandmother's name. I'm guessing this name has significance for you as well?"

"It does." Venus smiled remembering her best friend, the mother of her son. " This little one is named for the two women in my life who meant the most to me."

"What a lucky little girl. We're going to miss you around here, I've gotta tell you, we look forward to your visits, the two of you are a lot of fun, but we're so glad she and her big sister are headed to a home where they'll be well looked after.

"Miss Helen, you flatter me." Venus said, smiling. "Y'all have been so nice to us. I know the MC has a certain history with this place."

"Oh yes, Dr. Knowles. Did you ever get to meet her?"

"No. I'm afraid our paths never crossed. Alex told me he was always very fond of her."

"She was one of the good ones."

"You know, I live in town, and if you ever need anything, please give me a call, if you have any questions at all. I mean that." Helen said, handing Venus a post-it note with her number.

" Oh, Miss Helen. Thank you so much. You're sure about that coffee?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Well alright, guess I'm drinking alone." Venus gave her a wink and tucked the number into her purse and went on her way.

She picked out a small cup of chocolate/vanilla swirl, and got herself a coffee,

" Light and sweet, like my disposition." she told the girl at the counter, paid the tab, and walked toward Pediatrics.

When she approached the nurse's station, she flashed her wristband and a smile to the charge nurse, whose stony face gave the slightest of nods, allowing her to go on the floor.

She stopped at Amelia's room, and poked her head in the doorway to make sure she wasn't sleeping. She slowly walked in the room to see one of the ward nurses giving Amelia her medication. The nurse looked up and smiled.

"Hi there, I'm just finishing up. Look, Amelia, someone's here to see you! Do you know who this is?"

"Hi Mama!" Amelia said, smiling and practically bouncing off of the bed with excitement.

"Hi my baby girl." Venus walked over and kissed the little girl's forehead. " I saw you take your medicine like a good girl".

"All gone, Mama" she said, sticking out her tongue.

" I can see that! Is it ok if she has a little ice cream?" Venus asked the nurse.

" I don't see why not. She is so looking forward to going home. She keeps telling us all about her pink room and puppy." I'll be back later Amelia, for your last dose of medication"

"Bye bye" said the little girl, waving.

Venus sat down next to Amelia on the bed, and undid the top off of the Dixie cup of ice cream, licking it, and handing Amelia the small plastic spoon.

"Oh my goodness Miss Amelia! You are in for a treat."

Amelia dug into the ice cream, and then held the spoon up to Venus' mouth.

"Want some, Mama?"

" Sure, baby. Mama would love a taste." Venus quickly took a taste before the ice cream had a chance to drip on her blouse. It made her happy to think that this little child had a capacity for kindness.

"When do I go to my house, Mama?"

"Well, you and your baby sister are coming home to us tomorrow. So, that's one more big sleep here, and then when you wake up in the morning, Ms. Thompson is going to bring you to our house. Daddy and I and even Gertie the puppy are so excited for all of us to be together. Just one more day, baby."

"Then I sleep in my pink room?"

"Yes, baby. That's right." Venus said, stroking the little girl's head. "Then you can sleep in your pink room."

"My lamby, too?" Amelia asked, holding up the stuffed animal they gifted her.

"Of course! Lamby's coming, too."

"Where's Daddy?

"Oh, your Daddy's taking a nap with baby Violet. I'm going to go check on him in a little bit. "

Amelia turned to face Venus, and reached up to pat her cheeks with her chubby hands.

"Mama."

"What is it, baby?"

"I love you, Mama."

Venus let out a soft " Ohhh" and wrapped her arms around the little girl, to hug her.

"I love you, too, my precious baby girl."

Once again, Brooke proved to be a big help. That night, she and Venus hung a "Welcome Home" sign in the entry way, and baked a cake, Red Velvet, of course.

" My Memaw always said, you should be prepared for company. This is her recipe" Venus said, as she vigorously stirred the batter.

"I'll bet you and Tig are super excited. " Brooke said as she got the pans ready.

"We are, darling, we are. I really can't thank you enough for all of your help. Without you, Chuckie and Filip, I don't know what we would've done."

"No worries. I'm happy to help. For what it's worth, I think you are going to be an amazing Mom. I almost think of you as my surrogate mom."

"Miss Brooke. That means a lot. My door is always open, you can come talk to me about anything, anytime, honey."

"Thanks, Venus. Thank you."

" I think everything is in order now, sweetheart. Now all we have to do is wait. Do you need a ride home?"

"No. Rat's supposed to pick me up"

"All right then. Be good. And If you can't be good, be careful. And if you can't be careful, name your firstborn after me. " Venus grinned.

"Don't worry. We're careful!" Brooke rolled her eyes. "Jeez, spoken like a true mom."

"We'll call you when things settle down, so you can come over and meet the girls, ok?"

"Sounds good. I can't wait to meet them!"

"Have a good night, Miss Brooke."

"Bye, Venus."

The next morning was a typical springtime stunner. Bright blue skies, a few gorgeous, cottony clouds, and a general feeling of excitement in the air. Venus found herself up at the crack of dawn, too excited to sleep, leaving Tig snoring away.

After showering, and dispensing with her morning stubble, she carefully rolled her hair and set down to business. The girls were due to arrive a little before noon, so she had plenty of time to make sure everything was in order.

Her first stop, The girls' rooms. The soft pink paint she chose looked perfect. She ran a hand over the flowered comforter on what was to be Amelia's bed, making sure there were no wrinkles, and smiled , as she stood in the doorway.

Everything was in order in Violet's room as well. From the crib, to the dressing table, the room looked as if she'd had a whole nine months to plan, not two weeks.

She and Gertie padded quietly down the hall so as not to wake Tig.

" Are you ready to be a big sister, Gertie girl?" Venus said as she knelt down and scratched the dog's ears. " This is a big day for all of us." The dog looked up, and cocked her head to one side, as if to say, " I hear you."

The wait was interminable. It didn't take long for Venus to get dressed and ready, even after spending extra time to make sure her make up and hair were perfect.

She brewed a pot of coffee, and made breakfast for she and Tig.

By the time Tig woke up and made his way to the kitchen, it was only 8:00 am.

"Couldn't sleep?" Tig asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee, his wild curls going every which way.

"No."

"Nervous?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't"

He sat down at the table and took Venus' hands in his.

"Baby, I'm scared shitless, too, but I've gotta tell you, When I see you with the girls, it all disappears. You may not have given birth to them, but you're their Mama, and they know it. I think that once they're here, all the pieces will fall into place, you know?"

"I know. You're right. I never thought this would ever happen to me, and now that it is, I'm just feeling all kinds of things at once. Nervous, excited, but most of all, happy. I know that once they walk through the door, they're ours. I can't wait to love them up."

"Me too, baby."

"I think we're going to be all right." She smiled

"I think so, too. Wanna go back to bed and kill a little time?"

"Mmmm yes please. We should take advantage of the quiet."

Tig led Venus to the bedroom. As someone who was a former "professional" she was always amazed at Tig's prowess in bed. Always game for anything, but just as good at plain, vanilla lovemaking.

"Lay down, and let me take care of you." He said, once they entered the bedroom.

"Yes, sir." She replied.

Tig waited for her to situate herself on the bed. He carefully pulled her dress over her head, and started with a kiss on her forehead, working his way down.

When he reached her breasts he lingered, darting his tongue around her nipples, occasionally glancing up to make sure she was enjoying this as much as he was.

Guiding her over to her side, he entered her, slowly, carefully.

He gently and rhythmically started thrusting, she responding.

They came in fairly quick succession, and after he carefully pulled out, he turned her around and held her close.

"My angel." She sighed, looking into his piercing blue eyes. " You are too good to me."

"Oh, my baby" he muttered. " I am so glad you're mine"

They laid like that for a while, and then got up again, Venus to fix her mussed hair, and reapply her makeup, Tig , to the shower.

At 12 noon, on the dot, the doorbell rang.

"Ready, baby?" Tig said as he started walking down the hallway.

"Ready." Venus said beaming.

They opened the door to find Ms. Thompson, holding Violet in a baby carrier, Amelia standing beside her, holding a bunch of tulips.

"Good Afternoon. " Ms. Thompson called out, cheerily.

"Well, Hello!" Tig replied. " Please come on in."

Venus, standing beside him, held out her arms, and knelt down. Amelia went straight to her, and was enveloped in a shower of kisses and hugs.

"Mama! This is my house!" Amelia said, excitedly.

"Yes, baby, it is!" Venus said, picking her up.

"Those are for you." Ms. Thompson said, gesturing at the flowers.

"Thank you. They are lovely."

Ms. Thompson laid down the baby carrier, and Gertie, whose tail was wagging a mile a minute, walked over, sniffed the bundle inside, and acknowledged the baby with a friendly lick.

Venus set Amelia back on the ground, so she could quickly put the flowers in a vase, and Gertie did the same. Two sniffs, and a lick on the face.

Amelia started laughing.

"Puppy! That tickles!"

"She's just saying Hello." Tig said, scooping up the little girl, and swinging her around.

Venus returned from the kitchen, now wearing the baby wrap she purchased, what seemed like ages ago.

Ms. Thompson carefully lifted Violet out of the carrier, and arranged her in the wrap. The baby slept through it all.

Venus looked down at the precious cargo she was now carrying, and whose head was now close to her heart. and whispered, "Welcome home, Violet Lula. Welcome home."

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then." Ms Thompson said. "Please call me if you need anything, and take care." she said as she was leaving.

"Thank You. For everything, really." Tig said, smiling.

He shut the door, and walked back to the living room where he could hear Venus and Amelia giggling, ready to begin this new adventure.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

For the Trager-Van Dam family, their first night as a family of four, after a day spent getting the girls settled, was surprisingly quiet. They decided to keep Violet in a port-a-crib in their bedroom to start.

Venus gave Amelia a bath, and Tig told her two bedtime stories, as she was tucked into her bed, Gertie laying on the floor next to her.

"Ok baby girl, I'm going to say good night to you." Tig said, leaning over to kiss the little girl on her forehead. " Take good care of Gertie, ok?" he winked and stepped back. " I think Mama wants to say Goodnight to you, too."

Venus entered the room after putting Violet down for the night, and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Look at you!" she said softly. "Are you and lamby all tucked in and cozy?"

Amelia nodded her head." Yes, Mama"

"You must be sleepy. Today was an exciting day."

Amelia shook her head, and tried to stifle a yawn.

"Would you like me stay with you for a little while?"

Another nod.

"Well, alright, then." Venus glanced at Tig, and mouthed the words, "It's fine." He shut the light, and quietly went into the hall.

Amelia patted the bed, motioning for Venus to lie down.

Venus positioned herself next to Amelia, and started to soothe her by rubbing her back, and humming some wordless tune. After a few minutes, Amelia turned to face Venus and spoke,

"Mama?"

"What is it, baby?"

"Today was the best day ever."

"It was the best day, baby, because you and your sister came home to us."

"Mama?"

"Yes, baby."

"Lamby, puppy and I are sleepy"

Venus glanced down at Gertie snuffling at the side of the bed, and smiled.

"Well, my sleepy little girl, I hope you have the sweetest of dreams. Mama and Daddy love you so much. We're just down the hall if you need us, ok?'

"Ok, Mama."

Venus kissed Amelia goodnight, and silently padded out of the room.

She made her way back to the living room where Tig was waiting for her on the couch.

"Well, I think today was a success" he said, wrapping his arm around her as she sat down next to him.

"I was just told it was the best day, ever." She said, smiling and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Amelia said that? "

"She sure did"

"I think it rates pretty high, baby."

Tig leaned down and kissed Venus' forehead.

"Think it'd be ok if Chibby stopped by tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not. Filip is like family. I think Brooke and George should stop by, too, get the girls used to her."

"Great. I'll call him. Set something up. To bed?"

"To bed." I do believe today's excitement has caught up with me, darlin." Venus said, yawning. "And besides, someone's going to be hungry in a a little while."

"I can do it, baby. You deserve some rest."

"You're sure? It's no trouble."

"Baby, it's fine. You know me, some nights I'm too jacked up to sleep."

"Ok, Tiger." She smiled at him reassuringly. "Ok." They headed to the bedroom.

Throughout that first night, they took turns feeding Violet. Keeping her in the same room with them made it easy for them to attend to her quietly.

Saturday morning, with the first feeding of the day done at 6:30, Venus quickly showered and got herself ready for the day. After the usual morning ablutions, she selected a flowery Maxi Dress from her closet, and carefully slid it over her head.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she could hear Amelia stirring. She quietly walked into the room to find Gertie, who had made her way onto the bed in the middle of the night lying next to Amelia, who was starting to wake.

Venus sat on the edge of the bed , and whispered softly,

"Good morning, lovebug. "

Amelia squinted and yawned.

"Hi, Mama."

Venus stifled a chuckle at the sight of Amelia's bed head. Her hair was wild as Tig's, curls going every which way.

"Did you have a good night's sleep?" Venus asked,

"Yes."

" It sure looks like you and Gertie did. She kept you company all night, didn't she?"

"Uh huh. Puppy slept with me all night."

"Are you ready to start your day, Darlin?"

Amelia sat up, nodded her head, and gave Venus a big hug.

"Well all right. Let's get you cleaned up, and then we'll make you some breakfast, ok?"

"Ok."

Venus dressed Amelia in no time flat in a sundress she and Brooke had picked out during one of their shopping sessions. Fixing her hair took a little longer.

"Ok, baby. Can you be a good girl and stay still while Mama fixes your hair?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Good. Why don't you sit down here. Mama's beauty parlor is open for business."

Venus assessed the situation and grabbed some supplies from the bathroom. Using the spray bottle she used on Tig when his hair was out of control crazy, she wet Amelia's hair and gently started to comb through the tangles.

"You let me know if I'm hurting you, ok, sugar?"

Amelia didn't utter a peep.

Once all the tangles were attended to, Venus took some leave-in conditioner and worked it through the little girl's curls, twisting them , to bring them back to life. She finished the look with a small pink bow, which she clipped to the front section of hair and swept to the side.

Standing back to survey her work, Venus smiled, and said, " Perfect."

"Ok, Baby. Go and show Daddy how pretty you look. I just need to clean up, and I'll be there in a minute."

Venus heard Amelia running down the hall, calling out to Tig. "Daddy! Look! I look pretty like Mama!" She smiled, widely, as she straightened up the bed and tidied up the room.

" Memaw, I hope I do you proud." She whispered to herself, as she worked.

Chibs , Happy, Rat and Brooke dropped by later in the morning.

"We come bearing bagels, donuts and coffee, figured you two could use a boost." Chibs said when Venus opened the door.

"Thanks, Filip, you are always so thoughtful." Venus said, and quickly kissed him on the cheek.

Chibs looked down at Violet, wrapped once again in Venus' baby sling and smiled.

"Goin for the earth mother look, eh darlin?"

"Something like that. " Venus said.

" Well, it suits you. This wee one is a beauty." Chibs said, as he looked at Violet, whose stretchy pink headband matched her sister's bow.

"Why don't you boys come on in, and Miss Brooke and I will go set this up?"

Chibs nodded, and Happy and Rat followed.

Amelia, who was in Tig's arms, took one look at the three men standing before her, and buried her head in Tig's shoulder.

"Are you being shy?" Tig said. "It's ok, baby, these guys are Daddy's best friends"

Amelia looked up again, and set her gaze on Happy. She waved at him, and he stuck his tongue out. She threw her head back and laughed.

"Daddy! He's silly!" she giggled.

"He can be, honey. That's for sure." Tig said, shaking his head.

Venus and Brooke called everyone into the kitchen, where they demolished the array of pastries and bagels in short order.

After breakfast, Chibs made his way over to Venus, who was cleaning up the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom. Could you spare Tiggy for a few hours so he could take a ride with his brothers?"

Venus turned to him with a smirk on her face.

" Let me see if I understand you correctly Filip. Y'all are taking off for who knows how many hours and leaving me here with a newborn and a toddler who's on the precipice of a sugar crash?"

She pointed in the general direction of the living room, where Amelia was being swung around by Happy, crying out, "Again, Again!"

Chibs mumbled, "umm uhh"

Venus poked his arm. " I'm just messing with you, Filip. I think Alexander would welcome some time with the boys. Just bring him back to us in one piece, ok?"

"Will do, darlin."

Venus walked into the living room where the men were getting ready to head out, and made her way to Tig.

"Baby, have fun and ride safe." She said, kissing him softly.

"You gonna be ok?"

"I don't see why not. Brooke's going to keep us company while you're out. I don't anticipate any issues."

"All right baby. I'll see you later." Tig placed both his hands on either side of Venus' face and pulled her in for a kiss.

"To be continued." He said as he walked out the door.

"I can't hardly wait." Venus said, smiling as the door closed.


	8. Chapter 8

Hearing the rumble of engines in the driveway, Venus walked back into the kitchen where she found Brooke drying the last of the dishes.

"Honey, it's such a lovely day, why don't you and I take the girls out back and catch up?"

"Sure thing. I've got one more cup to dry, and then I'm ready."

"Excellent." Venus bustled around the kitchen, grabbing some cold drinks and fruit for them to take outside, and a blanket so they could sit outside.

Once their makeshift picnic was set up, she went back inside to put some sunscreen on herself, and Amelia, and they all headed outside.

" So tell me, Miss Brooke, what's new with you?" Venus asked, as she reached for some grapes.

"Oh, you know same old stuff, different day."

"How are things with you and young George?" Venus couldn't bring herself to call him Rat Boy, she was always formal when it came to using the club members' names. The only exception was Happy. She asked Tig once what Happy's real name was, and after a few long minutes, he said he had no clue.

"Fine, I guess."

"You guess? Darlin, that doesn't sound very convincing"

"No, I mean, things are good, I mean, but when I see you and Tig together, I wonder if Rat and I will ever be where you guys are.

Venus sighed

"Oh, sweetie, what makes you think you won't? It took a long time for Alexander and I to have what we have. It didn't happen overnight, darlin. There were times when It didn't seem like it would happen at all. "

"I guess you're right." Brooke forced a smile and shrugged her shoulders.

"Can I give you some unsolicited advice, darlin?"

"Sure."

" Well, I think you're a bright girl. You should be looking for something to do outside of the club life. Give yourself some sense of independence. I think if you have a life that you can live outside of George's life, you'll feel better about how you fit in his life."

" But what if he doesn't like it?"

"Baby, if he doesn't like it, then he ain't worth having."

Their conversation was interrupted by Amelia, who up until this point was running off her sugar high in the yard.

"Mama! I want to sit with you!"

"Well come on over baby girl and sit a spell with me.

Amelia climbed into Venus' lap

"Here, baby, have something to drink, you've been running around a lot. You must be thirsty."

Amelia took a large gulp of lemonade, let out a burp, and leaned back against Venus.

Venus fluffed the little girl's hair, and leaned down.

"Miss Amelia, what do you say when you burp?"

"'scuse me."

"Good girl. I think it's time you take a little rest. You've been going non-stop today"

"Brooke, I'm going to take the girls inside, get them sorted out for nap time. I may even catch a few winks myself. You are more than welcome to stay here while the boys are out. Please make yourself at home."

"Aww thanks, Venus."

Venus got up off the grass with the two girls in tow. Amelia walked over to Brooke and hugged her.

"What do you say to Miss Brooke?" Venus asked.

"Bye Miss Brooke, see you soon!" Amelia giggled.

"Bye, Amelia, I sure will."

Tig and Rat pulled back into the driveway later that afternoon.

" I'll go in and get Brooke for you" Tig said, running his fingers through his hair, walking up the front steps.

He spied a note on the front door as he went to open it, which read,

_Sleeping babies and Mama inside. _ _Be quiet, or else!_

"Point taken." He muttered to himself.

He took off his boots as he entered the house, where he found Brooke in the kitchen, reading a magazine.

"Hey" she said, as she looked up.

"Hey. Where are my girls?"

"They're all asleep in your room. Venus went to lie down with them. I guess she was tired, too. I made you guys some dinner. Spaghetti. You just need to boil some water to cook it. There's sauce on the stove.

"Thanks, kid. I appreciate it, and I speak for Venus, when I say that, too. She thinks you're great."

"No problem. Rat's out front?"

"Yeah. He is. I think Venus is gonna call you this week to set up some time for you to watch the girls. You have a good night, kid."

"Thanks. You guys, too."

Brooke walked out, and quietly shut the front door behind her.

Tig lifted the lid off the pot on the stove, stuck his finger in the sauce, and took a taste. "Not bad" he thought to himself.

He made his way back to the master bedroom, opening the door as delicately as he could manage.

Violet was fast asleep in her crib. His eyes drifted toward the bed where Amelia was also asleep, Venus laying next to her, her long ,brown waves spread over the pillow.

Tig reached down to brush away a lock that had fallen in her face.

"Mmmm." Venus murmured. " Hey Baby. She turned around to face Tig.

"Hey Beautiful. How are all of my girls doing?"

"Just fine." She said, smiling sleepily.

" Is there room for me?"

"Alexander, do you even have to ask? There's always room for you. Come and lie down next to us, and rest for a bit." She whispered.

"Did you have a good afternoon with the boys?"

"Yeah. We rode out a ways, kicked back a bit and had some beers, shot the shit. It was a good time."

"That's good, I'm glad, baby"

"Brooke said she had a good time with you today. She made us supper."

" She did? How nice. I really like that girl, darlin. I think she has a good head on her shoulders, she just needs a little direction is all. She's now Amelia's second favorite person."

"Let me guess, Happy's number one?"

"He is, indeed."

Tig carefully, so as not to jostle the bed and wake Amelia, laid down next to Venus.

As they faced each other, Venus, ever observant, pointed a French manicured finger at Tig's shirt.

"Alexander, why do you have blood on your shirt? Please don't tell me that you and the boys stirred up some shit this afternoon."

"No Baby, we were good boys, I promise. I just had Hap add a little ink to my collection. I'll show it to you later."

Venus smiled. " I look forward to it. She kissed his chest on the presumed location of the new tattoo, and placed her hand on it.

He took her hand and kissed it. Venus was his third old lady. He closed his eyes, smiling, thinking to himself that the third time was definitely the charm, and drifted off to sleep next to his love.

'


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The newly formed family soon fell into a routine.

Brooke watched the girls on the days Venus was called into work, or if she had errands to run.

On this particular day, she had only Violet under her care, since Venus was taking Amelia to story hour at the library.

Trips like this were part of Venus' agenda to make sure 'her babies' would eventually grow up to be engaged, smart young women. "I want these girls to know that there's more to life than being someone's old lady" she would say.

"All right, Brooke. Please call me if you need anything. I think we're going to have lunch after the library, with Alexander."

"No problem. I think we'll be fine."

"Perfect. " Venus knelt down to kiss Violet who was fascinated by the gadgets on her playmat. " Little one, you don't give Miss Brooke any headaches, all right?" she whispered.

"Bye baby Violet" Amelia said, and waved at her sister.

"Ok, Miss Amelia, let's go."

Venus helped Amelia into her car seat, checked her lipstick in the rearview, and off they went, driving along to the sounds of Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, two of Venus' favorites.

The Charming Public Library was a short distance from the house. Venus found a parking space, helped Amelia out of the car, and fixed her dress which was rumpled from the seatbelt, and they walked to the small brick building, Amelia's hand in Venus', her curly pigtails bouncing as they walked up the front steps.

Once inside, they signed in with the librarian, and made their way to the children's area to find seats. The children sat on the floor, and the parents behind them in chairs.

Venus helped Amelia get settled, so she could see, and took a seat in one of the chairs, and surveyed the room. Amelia looked back, spotted Venus and waved.

She, even with toned down makeup, and her hair only slightly less high than usual, was still the most dressed up mom in the room, in her wrap dress and flat sandals.

"Is this seat taken?" The blonde with a stacked bob in a pink cardigan and jeans pointed to the empty chair next to Venus.

Venus shook her head, "No, it isn't." She took the seat and started talking away.

"Which one is yours?" she asked.

"My Amelia's in the front , showing her lamby to the girl with the baby doll. How about you?'

"Bryce is the girl with the baby doll! How funny!" "I'm Cathy, by the way. Nice to meet you." She said, extending her hand.

"Venus. Nice to make your acquaintance."

"Did you just move into town, Venus? I don't believe I've seen you at story hour before."

"No, darlin. This is our first time here."

"Is this your only child? I have an older son, he's in Kindergarten."

"No. We have a newborn at home."

"Wow! Look at you! Your body bounced back in no time. I have to say the one thing I miss about breastfeeding is that I had boobs just like yours. Don't be sad when they go back to how they were."

Venus stifled a chuckle at this last comment, and in a split second, decided to play it off. Explaining to this pleasant, though simple woman, that her boobs weren't going anywhere, and why, just seemed too much at this early hour, so she simply flashed a smile, and said,

"Thank You. They are pretty spectacular, aren't they?"

Before Cathy could answer, Story Time got underway. This day's selection was one of Amelia's favorites, "Should I Share my Ice Cream?" She asked to have it read to her almost every night.

When the librarian finished, and after giving a lesson on the importance of sharing, Venus and Cathy rose out of their seats to collect their daughters.

Amelia ran up to Venus and hugged her legs, staying close to her side.

Cathy and her daughter, Bryce, walked over to them, Cathy holding out her phone.

"Can I get your number? I'd love to set up a play date for the girls sometime."

"Of course, darlin." Venus said, typing her number into the phone. "It was nice to meet you."

"Oh, and I was wondering. I'm part of a moms group here in town, we have book club, girls nights, and I was wondering if you were free on Wednesday night? No kids, no hubbys. I'm hosting a Passion Party."

"A what now?" Venus asked.

" You've never heard of a passion party? It's where you can buy "_adult toys"_ " Cathy whispered, " So you can spice things up in the bedroom!" she giggled.

Once again, Venus had to rein in the urge to laugh, and smiled widely.

" Why, Cathy, I'd love to come. I just need to make sure I have someone to watch the girls."

"Great! It was really great meeting you!"

"Likewise, I'm sure" Venus said, laying on the Southern Belle patter pretty thick.

"Did you have a good time, baby girl?" Venus asked as they walked back to the car.

"Uh huh. They read my favorite story!"

" I know! That is your favorite."

"Daddy reads it better." Said Amelia.

"Why is that?"

" He makes the funny voices. This lady didn't."

"Ah, I see. Well, you'll have to tell him that when we meet him for lunch."

They made their way to the diner, where Tig was waiting outside, leaning against his bike.

"Daddy!" Amelia squealed as she ran up to him.

"Hey,baby girl!" he said as he scooped her up " How was story hour?"

"Good! They read the ice cream story!"

"Did they do the funny voices like I do?"

"No."

"Daddy wins in that department." Venus said as she walked up to Tig. "Hey, Baby"

she said as she greeted him with a kiss.

"Hey, Mama" he said, wrapping his free arm around her. " So, story hour was a success?"

"Yes, it was. Amelia made a new friend, and her mom wants to be mine." She laughed. " I'll tell you all about it."

They made their way inside, to a booth.

The diner was just an average diner, but it was "their diner." They'd head their after a night out, for an early breakfast., or a stop after a ride. The waitresses knew them, and their standing orders. It was comfortable, familiar. So much so that when the waitress stopped by to take their order, she really just did it out of courtesy—she knew what it'd be. Burger, Fries and Coke for Tig, Grilled Chicken Salad, dressing on the side, and an Iced Tea for Venus, Kid's meal for Amelia.

"You gotta be kidding me, baby" Tig started laughing when Venus told him about her invitation to Cathy's passion Party.

" I swear it Alexander, I swear!" Venus laughed as she plucked a french fry off of his plate.

"Well, I think you should go. You'd probably teach those ladies a thing or two."

" Oh no, Baby. I'm gonna be a good girl, keep my eyes open, and my mouth shut. I'll lay you 5 to 1, that at least one of their husbands has paid a visit to Diosa. And what's more, I guarantee that the biggest prude there is likely an undercover freak."

"You know, you have to buy at least one thing, even though your collection is pretty substantial." He said, as he patted her leg under the table.

"Of course, I will, baby. I'll be sure to pick up something fun for us to try at home, though I 'm sure the quality won't be as good as mine." She winked and took a sip of her iced tea.

As they finished their lunch, and walked up to the counter, so Tig could pay, they heard someone excitedly calling their names, "Alex? Venus?!"

They turned around and saw Helen, the nurse in her scrubs picking up a to-go order.

"Miss Helen! How are you?" Venus gave her a hug, almost lifting her off of the ground.

"I'm just fine. More importantly, how are you all doing? How's Violet?"

"She's really doing well. She's home with the babysitter. Amelia and are I going to head there now, since it's coming up on nap time."

"Well, it was great to see you!"

"And you." Venus, Tig and Amelia made their way outside, and said their goodbyes.

" I'll be home later, ladies. Amelia, make sure Mama behaves." Tig said, his blue eyes twinkling"

" Don't worry about Mama, Tiger. She always behaves." Venus gave him a quick kiss goodbye, and headed back to the car.

Helen made her way up to the register. The girl behind the counter said, " All taken care of by the gentleman with the curly hair and his wife."

************Author's note***************

Thanks so much, everyone for all the love you've given this story so far. It means a lot. I'm going to keep on thinking up new adventures for this little family. Not a whole lot of drama, but just seeing these two get the happiness they deserve. ( a wedding, perhaps ? ;) )


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The day of Cathy's Passion Party finally arrived. Venus spent a good part of her day getting prepped for the event. Her morning was spent at the salon, where she paid her stylist, Jeannie a visit.

Venus had been a client of Jeannie's for years. She knew how to do a roller set like no one else, and, being from the south herself, was a firm believer in the old saying, "The higher the hair, the closer to God."

"Hey girl! " she exclaimed when Venus walked over to her station. Venus was one of Jeannie's favorite clients. She was always entertained when the vivacious Ms. Van Dam had an appointment.

"Hi Miss Jeannie, how are you, Darlin?" Venus asked as she gave her a hug .

"Oh, you know, busy as ever. You keep sending me new clients, so I'm running around like crazy." "How about you? I want to see a picture of these babies I keep hearing about."

"Here." Venus pulled out her phone, and flipped through some snapshots she'd taken of the girls.

Jeannie flipped through to the first picture of Tig sleeping with Violet on his chest, another of Amelia running around in a princess tiara and holding a magic wand, wearing nothing but a diaper, one more of Venus laying down with the two girls on either side of her, Amelia, kissing her cheek. Venus was smiling her trademark smile, her eyes half-closed in bliss, looking so at ease.

"Honey, these are great! Look at the curls on Amelia! You're doing a really great job keeping them looking good"

"Thanks, darlin. I'm going to bring her in one of these days for a little trim. I just love those curls."

"All right, what are we doing today?"

" I could use a trim, and one of your famous roller sets, of course, Miss Jeannie."

"Pageant contestant realness, coming up!" Jeannie said as she got to work.

Venus sat back and let Jeannie work her magic. The time flew by, as they chatted about everything from kids, to the latest celebrity scandal.

"Ok, darlin, 45 minutes under the dryer, and you'll be ready to go".

"Yes, Ma'am" Venus said as situated herself under the hood. She busied herself by reading the latest gossip magazines.

Two hours later, Venus stepped out of the salon, her long waves looking bouncy and just perfect.

Her next stop was the nail salon for a mani/pedi. After her nails were shaped and polished to perfection, she headed home.

Venus opened the door to find Amelia and sitting down on the floor next to Gertie, looking at a picture book. Amelia and Gertie were both wearing tiaras.

Venus walked over, to greet her little girl.

"Hi love bug. Are you and Gertie playing dress up?"

"Hi Mama! I am a princess and puppy is too"

"Oh, well Hello Princess Amelia. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Venus said, extending her hand and curtseying.

Venus looked up to see Brooke, coming back into the living room from putting Violet down for a nap also wearing a tiara.

Venus giggled.

" Princess Brooke! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Brooke shyly took off her tiara . "Hey Venus" she said. "Yup. It's apparently princess day"

"Everyone behaved while I was out?"

"Yes. We went to the park for a bit, came back for lunch. I put the baby down for a nap just now, and here you find us, just chilling out."

"Excellent. Thanks for tiring them out for me."

"No Problem. You look really nice, by the way."

"Thank you, darlin. I think it's always important to make a good first impression. Especially with groups of potential mean girls. " You heading out?"

"Yup. I have my first drawing class tonight"

"How wonderful! Enjoy yourself."

" Thanks. Dinner's in the oven. I followed the instructions you left me, so it should be done in an hour or so."

"Princess Brooke, you spoil us so. Thank you so much, sugar."

Brooke kneeled down next to Amelia.

"Bye Princess Amelia. I'll see you tomorrow.

Amelia looked up from her book, and hugged Brooke.

"Bye Princess Brooke." She said, and went back to her book.

Venus walked Brooke to the door. "Honey, you have great time in your class tonight. "

"Thanks, I'm looking forward to it. Did you need me to check in with Tig later tonight, in case he needs anything while you're out?

"Darlin, I think he'll be ok. You'd be surprised."

"Ok. See you tomorrow, then."

Venus closed the door and walked back to the living room.

"Princess Amelia, how about we have story and snuggle time, just you and me?"

"Ok, Mama" Amelia closed the book, and climbed onto the couch with her sippy cup in one hand, and the ever-present lamby in the other. Venus sat down next to Amelia as she settled in, snuggling close to her.

Story and snuggle time was suggested to them back when the girls were in the hospital as a way for Amelia to bond with Tig and Venus, and quickly became a favorite pastime.

"I think since it's Princess day, the story should be about a princess." Venus said, softly.

Amelia nodded and looked up at her mama, ready for whatever fantastical tale Venus was about to spin.

"All right, then. Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess….."

Amelia sat rapt with attention, as Venus told her tale about the princess. By the time she wrapped up the story with the closer,"…and remember, while it's always nice to meet a handsome prince, a princess should always be able to think for herself.", she heard the front door open and the friendly bellow of Tig calling out, "Hey Girls, I'm home."

"Baby, we're in here. Just finishing story and snuggle time." Venus called back.

Tig walked in and exclaimed, " Aww man, I missed it!" He leaned down to kiss Venus and Amelia.

"How was your day, baby?" Venus asked

"Busy. Good. I, uhh wanted to run something by you, baby."

"Sugar, I'm all ears. Everything all right?"

"We got a call today from the San Bernadino charter, one of Packer's guys is getting hitched, and they're throwing him a huge club bachelor party."

Venus narrowed her eyes.

" Baby, I know you're not asking for my permission, but I don't have a problem with you going"

"Nah, baby, that's not what I meant. I figured when we go, you can take the girls down to Norco, have them meet their abuelo Nero, I'll meet up with you there, have our first family trip. Maybe even bring Brooke with you, since Ratty will be with us. I'm sure she'd love to see Wendy and the boys."

"Alexander, I think that sounds like a fine idea. I'll give Nero a call, and make sure he's ok with it, but I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be"

"Great. And don't worry, I'll behave" he said as he patted her behind.

"You had better, Alexander, San Berdoo whores aren't anything to trifle with. Their middle name is 'Penicillin'." She said laughing.

"What time are you heading out?

"After supper. I have to be there by 7:30. I'm sure it won't be too late of an evening, darlin. I'll have the girls ready for bed before I go."

" Ok. I'm going to take a shower before supper."

When supper was over, and the dishes done and the girls bathed and dressed in their pajamas, Venus quickly changed and touched up her make up.

As she made her way into the family room, she heard Tig let out a wolf whistle.

"Damn, baby! I'm jealous. You're wasting all that pretty on a bunch of uptight soccer moms."

"Yes, but who gets all this pretty at the end of the night, Alexander?" She said, pursing her lips .

Tig couldn't argue with that and kissed his love softly.

"I hope that's a promise baby." He said as they parted.

" I'll see you later. Let me give my babies a kiss before I go."

She leaned down to kiss Amelia and Violet.

" All right, ladies. Mama's going out. You mind Daddy while I'm out, and go to sleep when he tells you."

" Bye, Mama." Amelia said and turned back to watching tv. Violet gurgled.

Venus found Cathy's house with no problem. She parked her SUV, and headed up the walkway to the front door, and rang the doorbell.

Cathy answered the door, "Hello, Venus! So glad you could make it!"

"Thank you so much for having me, Cathy. Here, darlin, this is for you." Venus placed a bottle of Moscato in Cathy's hands. She had picked it up in her travels earlier that day.

" Ooh, Moscato! How did you know it was my favorite?" Cathy squealed as she led Venus inside.

Venus was always a good judge of whatever demographic she found herself in, and could adapt accordingly. It was one of the skills that she honed early on in her career.

"Oh, just a guess, darlin. You have such a lovely home! "

As they made their way into the living room where the other women were waiting, Venus smiled widely, ready to see what the night had in store for her.

" Ladies, this is Venus. Venus, please make yourself at home, we're going to get started in a bit, I'm going to take this into the kitchen."

Venus managed a small wave as she stepped down into the large sunken family room, where the women were congregated happily chatting away. As she surveyed the room, she noticed two groups were formed. The first, seated on the sectional couch all seemed to look like Cathy, similar haircuts, and outfits. They barely looked up from their conversation. Two women standing up near the table where sweet snacks and drinks were set up, made up the second group. Venus caught the eye of one of the women, a brunette with cat-eyed glasses, who beckoned her over.

" Hi there!" she said. "I'm Bea, and this is Nora. " she said, pointing to the curvy woman standing next to her. " We're the fun girls."

"Hello! "Venus replied. " Well then, it looks like I'm in the right place."

During their conversation, Venus learned that Bea taught English at the local community college, and Nora was a dental hygienist and that they also had infant daughters and toddlers. They seemed open, friendly and funny, and Venus liked them immediately.

The party itself was just as Venus suspected. The items on offer were no more than novelty items. Furry handcuffs, that wouldn't restrain anyone, edible body paint and panties, things of that nature. Venus picked up a bottle of fruit punch flavored lube, as a courtesy to her hostess, and also since it was a flavor she hadn't tried.

As the night came to an end, Venus said her goodbyes and thank you's to Cathy, and walked out with Bea and Jill.

"So, so great to meet you!" said Bea as they made their way to their cars.

"Same here." Venus replied.

"Let's definitely get together again. I feel like the three of us are a good group."

"I'd like that, Bea. I've got to get home. If I'm lucky, Alexander will still be up and I can try this out on him." Venus said, holding up her purchase.

" Ha! Great minds think alike. Take care!"

Venus headed home, happy to have made two new acquaintances. She pulled into the driveway and killed the ignition, quietly opening the front door. She could see the light of television flickering from the front hallway.

She walked into the living room where Tig was watching some old action movie.

She sat down next to him, as he instinctively wrapped his arm around her.

"Hey baby. Did you play nice with the other girls?" He asked, half joking-half serious. He knew she had a temper when put on the defensive.

"Alexander!" she drawled, " Have you ever known me to be less than nice? I surely did, and made two new acquaintances, ladies I'd actually want to have as friends."

"So, Cathy, the lady who had the party was…"

" Just as I suspected. A basic bitch, and a Stepford wife to boot. But, I'm glad I went.

She nuzzled closer to him.

"And how was everything here? She asked, her hazel eyes gazing fondly at him.

"Fine, baby. Everyone went down with no problems. Gert, as usual is in with Amelia. I just fed the baby, and here you find me."

"Well thank you for holding things down, while I had a night out. And what do you know? As promised, all this pretty made it home in one piece to you."

Picking up on her cue, Tig quickly found the remote, and shut the TV. Casting it aside, he turned to face Venus, his blue eyes glinting, his voice an almost inaudible growl.

" And now I've come to claim my prize"

Venus smiled. For her, Princess night had just begun.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The days leading up to the trip had Venus going nonstop.

Between taking the girls to the pediatrician for their checkups, meeting with family services for the final check in for the filing of their adoption papers, checking out a baby ballerinas class for Amelia with her new friends Bea and Nora, and making sure everyone was packed up for their trip to Norco, her plate was full.

"So what do we think?", Bea asked the group, as they sat down for a coffee after their trip to the dance studio.

The three women had become fast friends after meeting at the Passion Party. Bea and Nora, as luck would have it, had daughters the same age as Amelia, and the three toddlers all played well together.

"I liked it. The teacher seemed very nice." Nora said, as she reached for a corner of the brownie the three of them bought to share.

"Same." Venus said as she blew on her cup of tea to try and cool it down before taking a sip. "When I was small, I would have killed to take a dance class."I think our girls are going to love it."

"Great!" Bea said. " I can go sign them up when you're away, Vee, and we can work out a carpool schedule when you get back."

"Thanks, Bea.I appreciate it, darlin." Venus said, smiling. "I am so looking forward to this trip."

"Now remind me," Nora said, "You're going to see your Dad in Norco?"

"Well, he's not my blood relative, but he's family to me for sure. He's been in my life for so long, and has been so good to me, I do consider him my dad, by choice."

"How cool!"Bea said. She and Nora knew all about Venus' history. The three of them had bonded over a couple of bottles of Rose' during a get together at Bea's house, and their acceptance of her without question, heartened her.

"Amelia keeps asking me when we are going to see Abuelo and his goats. She's obsessed. " Venus said, shaking her head and laughing. "Tomorrow's the day! I can't believe it."

"Well, we'll have to get together when you get back to hear all about it. "

"I'd love it. My place, this time?" Venus asked.

"It's a date."said Nora, getting up to hug Venus as the three women said their goodbyes.

"Bye, ladies, see you soon!" Venus blew a kiss to her friends as she walked to her car.

At home, she found Tig animatedly going over instructions for taking care of Gertie in their absence with Chuckie.

"Hey baby, Hey Chuckie" she said as she entered the kitchen, taking off her sunglasses.

"Uhh Hello" Chuckie said trying not to stare at Venus' bosom.

"Ok,nubs. You should be good to us if you have any problems while we're away"

Tig said, slapping Chuckie on the back.

"Alexander!"Venus exclaimed. " You could be nice!"

"It's ok I accept that." Chuckie said, sheepishly. " I'll see myself out. Don't you worry about the dog, she'll be fine."

"Where are the girls?" Venus asked after Chuckie walked out.

"Family room." Tig said. "All set for tomorrow?"

"All set, Baby. I'm looking forward to some downtime with you and our babies., she said as she hugged him, her head on her shoulder.

"How did I get so lucky?" Tig said, as they swayed together, as if they were dancing without any music playing.

"I could say the same thing, Tiger"

They broke apart and headed into the family room to check on the girls. They walked in to find Amelia, mid sentence, talking to Violet in her bouncy seat.

"… and there are baby goats, too. And we are going with Mama and daddy"

Tig and Venus looked at each other and said, at the same time, " Obsessed."

The trip from Charming to Norco started around 3 am. Venus and Tig loaded Amelia and Violet into their car seats trying not to wake them. Venus figured they'd sleep most of the way, and that she'd make good time.

Tig planned to meet her at the farm in 3 days, after the bachelor party festivities were over. Brooke was supposed to take the drive down to Norco with her, but at the last minute she decided to drive down with Rat.

"You sure you can manage this on your own, Baby?" Tig said after he gingerly shut the door to Venus' SUV, wincing when he saw Violet squirm, and then settle herself back to sleep.

"Yes, Alexander, I'm a big girl, I'll be fine" Venus said shaking her head and smiling. " It's a straight run down to Norco. We'll be there in no time."

"I know you can take care of yourself, Mama."he said, holding her close in their driveway.

" Call me the minute you get there, all right?"

"I will, Darlin.I know I've got precious cargo in the back seat she said, motioning to the car. I'll call you from Nero's."

She wrapped her long arms around him and pulled him close to her.

"I love you so much, Alexander. Behave yourself around those San Berdoo whores, ok?" she said, as he breathed in her sweet scent.

"I promise, baby. I think I'm just gonna be the chaperone this time around."

He wasn't kidding. Ever since he and Venus had become an item, after he had committed to the idea of her being his, he was a changed man. He never felt the urge to stray. Venus satisfied him in so many ways, that he felt his whoring around days were behind him.

"I miss you already." she said, after kissing him.

Venus hopped into the front seat, clicked her seatbelt into place and checked herself in the rearview. Tig shook his head. "That's my gir"l he thought to himself. Even at 3am, in her velour tracksuit, her hair pulled into a low pony tail, she made sure she looked her best.

She blew him a kiss from the car, and slowly backed out of the driveway, ready to hit the road.

As she eased onto the freeway, she glanced in the rearview at her babies fast asleep in their car seats and smiled.

6 hours later, pulling off of the freeway, she was relieved to see the sign which read, "Welcome to Norco, Horsetown USA" She knew she'd be at Nero's farm shortly. She was amazed that the girls were still fast asleep.

She'd let them stay up a bit later the night before, to make sure they slept through the ride, and was grateful her plan had worked.

She pulled onto the dusty road leading to the farm. As she made her way to the main house, she could see in the distance a tall figure in a cardigan, coffee cup in his hand. Parking the car and turning off the ignition, she leapt out of the front seat, and burst into tears at the sight of Nero partly due to exhaustion, partly due to sheer happiness "Hi Papi she said, tearfully, as she ran up to hug him.

"Hi Mija " he said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Welcome home"


End file.
